Garmin has announced today, Jan. 24, an all-new FDA-cleared electrocardiogram (ECG) app into its Venu 2 Plus smartwatch, specifically in the United States. This new health-based integration is the firm's "first FDA-cleared smartwatch feature," according to the press release, and will allow users to check for potential atrial fibrillation (AFib) from practically any location via the Garmin Connect app.
Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, the ECG app will only be available on the rather expensive Venu 2 Plus, which launched nearly a year ago amid CES 2022. Garmin aims to expand the feature, among other health-related applications, across its varied wearable lineup and in alternative regions beyond the US as per regulatory approval.
The ECG app allows Venu 2 Plus users to record a 30-second ECG and acquire immediate heart rhythm results, ensuring continued healthiness. The wearable itself leverages its onboard sensors to document varied heart beat's electrical signals to determine if there are any irregularities and specifically spot signs of AFib, the most common form of heart arrhythmia.
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In the firm's press release, Garmin VP of global consumer sales, Dan Bartel, describes the new ECG integration as a "revolutionary tool" for which consumers can continue to "stay on top of their health." Bartel adds:
"During the early stages of AFib, it's common for symptoms to be infrequent, making it difficult to detect in a clinical setting. With the new ECG App, Venu 2 Plus customers can conveniently take an ECG recording anytime and optionally create a report of their results to share with their doctor later."
Garmin details that its Venu 2 Plus users interested in the ECG app can learn how to set their devices up with the new integration on its webpage. According to the press release, the integration requires the latest version of the Garmin Connect app (4.56) as well as the 10.06 version update to the Venu 2 Plus before it can be used properly. Users can even see their results on an accompanying smartphone via the Connect application.
Similar health-related concepts can be found in alternative wearables, the main among them being Fitbit, which first debuted the ECG integration in 2020. Apple itself was well ahead of the curve with its 2018 release of the Series 4, which came with the ECG integration upon its debut.
